A 54-year-old Dominican national has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for re-entering the United States after a prior removal, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Odanis Manuel Brea Mejia, 54, of unknown residence, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine.
Brea Mejia pleaded guilty to the felony offense on March 20, 2025, and was arrested in January 2025 after a search warrant was executed in Lewiston, Maine by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) in connection with a drug trafficking investigation.
According to court records, Brea Mejia had been previously removed from the country in October 2021 following a conviction in Massachusetts for distributing heroin. Since his prior removal, he had not obtained consent to re-enter the US.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that aims to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
“This sentence sends a clear message that re-entering the United States after a prior removal is a serious offense that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice.
HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the MDEA.
Brea Mejia’s prior removal from the country was a result of his conviction in Massachusetts for distributing heroin. Since then, he had not obtained the necessary consent to re-enter the US.
Related Federal Cases
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- DEA Targets Opioid Crisis in New England Take Back Day · New Hampshire
- Lamar Young Pleads Guilty to Crack Distribution Conspiracy · Massachusetts
- Gardiner Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Bath Salts, Heroin Ring · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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